


No Need to Worry

by FourFaces



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Possible Stevenbomb 6 spoilers?, WE'LL SEE!, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourFaces/pseuds/FourFaces
Summary: After all of his friends have been captured. Steven goes to rescue them from the Zoo.The only problem?Connie is nowhere to be found.With the help of 8XL, Steven goes on a quest to rescue his friend before she is killed in battle.





	1. Chapter 1

She was gone.

She was gone and it was all his fault. He had been helpless to save her. He had been helpless to save anyone.

When he limped his way into the Temple, he was greeted by Garnet, who held him close, promising that they would get everyone back.

That they would get _her_ back.

Steven had told Priyanka and Doug, shame washing over him as Priyanka sobbed into Doug's shoulder. Steven promised them that he would get her back.

That had been a week ago. In that time, Steven had lost all of the gems and was going to face judgement. He thought back to that final fight on Earth, regret piercing his mind.

Garnet had been split up, again, only this time, Ruby's gem was cracked. Pearl had promised that she would get her to the fountain after Steven had promised her that he would be alright.

This was what his purpose was. He was going to save his human friends by atoning for what his mother had done.

The words that the Aquamarine had said rolled around in his head all week.

"Are you my dad? Are you Connie? Are you the Steven?"

They had known to look for Steven because of the earrings - because of what he had told Peridot so long ago of the humans on Earth. Of his dad, Sadie, Lars, Jamie, Onion ... Connie ...

He was to be taken to the Zoo for a short time before he was taken to Homeworld to face judgement.  He hoped that he would be able to save his friends before then. If he could just do this one thing ...

When Steven arrived at the Zoo, the Amethysts insisted that he was to be placed in quarantine, lest he end up posing a risk to the humans inside. Blue Diamond's favorite reminder of her fellow ruler needed to be preserved. Then they would keep him in the zoo until Aquamarine and Topaz were ready to take him to Homeworld. Steven was amazed when neither Aquamarine nor Topaz told them what was intended of him. Instead, he allowed himself to be placed in a holding cell.

As he sat in quarantine, he wondered how he was going to tell Connie that this would be it. That after this, he would never see her again.

He reminded himself that she would be safe. She and their friends and the Earth would be safe.

He didn't want her to spend all of her time mourning him. She deserved to continue on.

When he was finally released into the Zoo, he immediately began his search for the people he cared about. He had brief reunions with Lars, Sadie, Onion, and Jamie, but his blood ran cold as the realization hit him.

Connie was not there.

This was all his fault. He had somehow gotten her in trouble.

Or worse.

Thoughts swirled in his head as Steven tried to find a way to escape the Zoo. He needed to get out of there so he could save Connie. He wouldn't sleep until he figured out a way to get out. He couldn't spare any moment not thinking about how to find her.

He got his opportunity on his third night in the Zoo.

The sound of a door opening jarred him from his fitful sleep. He rose and made his way to the door, cautiously.

As soon as he stepped out the door, he felt the strong arms of an Amethyst wrap around him. He yelped only to be hushed. He watched, nervously, as he was whisked down the corridors. When he watched the doors to the hangar slide open, his eyes widened.

Before he could react, he was set down by the Amethyst who quickly ran to one of the Roaming Eyes, opening the door.

"You're 8XM's friend, right?" the Amethyst asked when she turned around.

"Yeah," Steven nodded.

"Ok. Well, I'm 8XL. I'm going to get you out of here. If we're fast, we can get to your human friend before she is moved."

"Moved?!" Steven cried out. "What's going to happen?"

8XL led Steven into the Roaming Eye, motioning for him to sit down.

"She gained a lot of interest after Aquamarine told Holly Blue what she did to those Topazes. A human spitting up a Gem fusion with a Gem weapon? Unheard of. But when she was here, I heard her whimper your name, so I knew that she had to be important to you, and thus 8XM, somehow. If we aren't quick enough, though, we may end up having to go to Homeworld anyway ... if she survives, that is."

As 8XL continued to explain what was happening, Steven found his eyes drawn out the window of the Roaming Eye. As the ship took off, Steven started to fully realize what was happening.

He had put Connie in danger. Even if he wasn't going to end up on Homeworld, he wouldn't be able to return and face Connie's parents.

He could barely face himself.

"The human was headed to one of Blue Diamond's colonies. There are a lot of soldiers who are bored and need some entertainment, and plenty of Rubies that would enjoy a good fight. Normally, I wouldn't think a human would be able to handle them, but with your friend facing off against the Topaz fusion, she might stand a chance, for now," 8XL continued.

"Connie," he started.

8XL paused and looked back to Steven.

"What?"

"Connie. Her name is Connie," Steven explained.

"Oh ..." 8XL sighed.

The silence stretched between them as 8XL began to callibrate the ship.

"We'll be using the gravity drive soon. Though, I'm sure you know what those are ... Um, just stay seated while we go."

Steven nodded.

"Don't worry," 8XL started. "We'll get your friend back. I promise."

Steven didn't respond. He simply stared as stars whizzed by.

What if he was too late?

He felt 8XL's hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" She started. "I mean, I know things are bad ... but we'll get her back and then we'll go back to Earth and get the other Gems find you a nice place where you and your friend can live, away from the Diamonds."

Steven's head snapped up.

"No, we'd just be going back to Earth," he stated.

8XL blinked. Then she covered her mouth.

"Oh no! You have no idea that your planet is going to explode! Yellow Diamond implanted a geo-weapon that should be finished incubating soon. That's why all of those humans were taken."

"Wait. You don't know ... Amethyst didn't tell you?" Steven began. "The cluster is bubbled. They're not going to reform any time soon. The Earth is completely safe!"

8XL tilted her head. Then she scrubbed her face with her hands as laughter bubbled up.

"Oh my stars, Yellow Diamond is going to be so mad! This is great! I can't wait to see the look on her stupid face when it never blows up!" 8XL guffawed. She slapped Steven in the back. "You're alright."

Steven smiled weakly.

"I'll send a message to the others, that we can take a trip after all of this is over. The humans that they grabbed were very upset with being put in the Zoo. Did you know them?"

"Yeah ..." Steven started.

"I'm sorry ... We'll get them back home, I promise," 8XL smiled.

They fell into silence once more as 8XL returned to her seat and continued to pilot the ship. She looked back every so often at the forlorn human child. Amethyst had told her that she helped raise this human and how special he was to her, but there was something else that she couldn't put her finger on.

Why would an Amethyst willingly raise a human child?

Sure, that had been her own job at the Zoo, but that wasn't what she was made for. Not by a long shot.

As the ship landed at the colony, she watched as Steven suddenly tensed up.

"How could Connie survive here? I don't think there's any air," Steven whimpered.

"Oh, we have a dome for situations like this. Sometimes, the Gems on a colony get bored and so creatures from other planets are shipped in. Of course, because of your friend's behavior, they wanted her there for a  ... specific purpose," 8XL cringed.

She piloted the ship towards a large dome and then landed outside.

"I'm going to dock with the dome and then we can go in," she explained. "I'll be telling them that I need to take the human back to the Zoo to rest. Hopefully they'll believe me. I didn't see Aquamarine's ship here so we might be able to sneak her out while they refuel."

Steven nodded as the ship docked with the dome. As the door opened with a whoosh, Steven got out of his seat and went to join 8XL. As he travelled behind her, out into the dome, he felt a sense of dread. Only a few Quartzes remained. One of the Jaspers was holding a Ruby's inert gem, checking it over before setting it on a seat. Steven looked to 8XL. The Quartz grimaced.

"Oh no ..."

"Hey! 8XL!" A Carnelian laughed. "You missed it! They brought a human for entertainment and it was awesome! Took down every Ruby they sent in with this ancient relic it had! It was great!"

"Oh ..." 8XL started. "Is she still here? I needed to take her back to the Zoo to rest with her -"

"Nah. It's off to the main Beryl Kindergarten on one of Yellow's colonies. Aqua wanted to take it there herself to show off her prize," the Carnelian prattled. "The way it wielded that sword was stellar! Maybe I should come out to the Zoo sometime and see what else you guys have been hiding."

Steven felt his heart break.

Connie was gone already.

He was too late.

He felt numb as he was shuttled back onto the Roaming Eye. He couldn't believe it. He had never wanted this for her and now she was being paraded across the galaxy as some sort of gladiator.

What if she got hurt? Who would be there to help her?

He didn't even realize he was crying until he looked up to see 8XL standing in front of him, looking him over with concern.

"Hey, kid. Are you alright?"

"She could get hurt," Steven whimpered. "And I won't be there to help her ..."

8XL patted Steven on the head gently. She never liked trying to calm down humans, but something kept drawing her to him. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted to see him find his friend.

As she sat down, she began to set a course for the next colony. When she turned around to look back at the human, she saw that he was already asleep. She almost turned around when something caught her eye.

A soft, pink glow shone through the appearance modifiers that he wore. Suddenly, it all made sense. The strange connection she felt, the way that Aquamarine treated him ...

The reason they were coming back for him.

_Oh shards ..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little more urgent.

He could see her. She was alone in the holding cell of the ship.

Did she know that the force-fields only reacted to Gems? He thought he had told her.

He wanted to talk to her, but he wasn't sure if she could even hear him. He didn't think his dream walking could work all that well when he was this far away.

He could feel the sadness emanating off of her, but there was something else there too. He couldn't quite place it.

"Don't worry, Connie. I'll find you ... I promise."

~

When Steven woke up, he didn't expect to see 8XL standing over him, curiously. He didn't even remember falling asleep.

"We're here," She started. "We'll need to get going quickly if we're going to get to her before they leave. I don't know how I'm going to convince Aquamarine to let her go, but I'll think of something."

Steven nodded and followed 8XL out of the ship. He watched as she walked ahead of him, her eyes darting around. She seemed more on edge than she had on the last colony.

Something was wrong.

He fought the urge to run back to the ship and try to find a way to escape. He needed to keep going.

He needed to save Connie.

~

She was tired. She was so very tired.

But if she didn't fight, they would no longer be distracted.

If they weren't distracted, then they would go back to the Zoo to get him.

And if they got him ...

_Keep your stance wide ..._

She readied herself as the Jasper charged her.

_Keep your body lowered ..._

She had done this before, as Stevonnie. She could do this.

She waited for her moment.

She struck.

The Jasper was caught off guard by the blow and wobbled, allowing Connie another opening. She gritted her teeth and went in for a killing strike.

_You're not killing her. You're just making her retreat into her gem. It's what the crowd wants._

She didn't care for the roar of the crowd. She didn't care about the cries of disbelief from the section of Quartzes.

She just wanted to rest.

~

He was frustrated and heartbroken.

Once again, they had been too late.

As 8XL hurried him back to the Roaming Eye, Steven looked around. Several Beryls were eyeing him, sending a chill down his spine. His eyes met with an Aquamarine who looked at him with a glint in her eye.

He shuddered.

"Hurry," 8XL hissed. "We need to go. Now."

Steven picked up his pace as they continued towards the Roaming Eye. As soon as he was on the ship, 8XL closed the door and rushed to the controls.

"We need to try the next one. And we need to go fast," she explained. "They see it too and it's only a matter of time before someone catches on."

Steven quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked as the ship took off.

8XL sighed and turned to look at him.

"You aren't really human. I ... I don't know what you are, but you're not human."

Steven's blood ran cold.

"You're not a gem, either ... I don't understand, but it makes sense ... why 8XM was so worried about you. Somehow, you're a Rose Quartz, yet not. And you're the only one left."

Steven squirmed in his seat. There was nothing he could do. If h tried to fight, he would still be stranded out in space. He had to stop and think.

"What are you?" 8XL asked.

There was no use hiding it, he quickly realized. Every possible path would lead to him ending up in the clutches of the Diamonds. Every path led to him facing judgement. Every path led to him ...

"I'm a hybrid. My mom was Rose Quartz. The Rose Quartz. The one who started the rebellion on Earth. The one who ..."

"... Shattered Pink Diamond," 8XL finished.

"Yeah ..." Steven continued. "I'm supposed to go to Homeworld to face judgement for what she did. I don't know why they left me at the Zoo. Maybe to let me say goodbye ..." his voice cracked as the realization hit him. "... but I couldn't say goodbye to her and now I never will ..."

He turned away from 8XL. It didn't matter what happened now.

No matter what happened, he would still possibly die without ever seeing his best friend again.

"It's not fair," he heard 8XL growl. "You shouldn't be held to what she did. You aren't her."

He turned to look at the gem. She was hunched over the controls, her teeth gritted in frustration. He was too afraid to say or do anything.

"The other Gems ... the Crystal Gems ... Are they all that's left?"

Steven nodded.

8XL rose up from her seat and walked to Steven. She knelt down in front of him and placed a hand on her shoulder. Steven stiffened in fear.

"I promise you that I will get both of you back home. Even if it means that I'm betraying my species ... I won't betray my home."

~

She was shocked at the cruelty of it. Her opponent had been thrown into the ring and was now trembling in front of her. Connie advanced towards the thin Gem and braced herself. The Gem didn't look as if she would be able to hold her own, as she clutched her arms close to herself. She turned around to look at Connie and Connie staggered back in shock at the sight of the gem on her forehead.

A Pearl.

She was supposed to fight a Pearl.

She rose her sword and the Pearl flinched.

She couldn't do it.

She wanted to throw her sword down and tell the crowd that it was over. She couldn't do this. She couldn't hurt a Gem who couldn't defend herself.

But what would happen to Steven?

The gems that had taken her were distracted by her antics for now. If she stopped ...

She looked out at the crowd. A Jasper looked at the scene with an incredulous expression. She seemed bored with the prospect of the fight.

_Perhaps ..._

Connie turned to the Pearl.

"Where's your weapon?" She asked, making her voice as powerful as she could. "I cannot fight someone who does not wield a weapon!"

The crowd murmured as Connie puffed out her chest. She hoped that this would work. She looked to the Pearl who gazed at her in confusion.

"Here, She can use my mallet," a Carnelian laughed, grabbing a weapon from the wall. "This will be great."

She threw the mallet down in front of the Pearl who stared at it.

"Pick it up," Connie commanded. "Show me what you can do," she said in a softer voice. "I won't shatter you. Just do this to survive."

The Pearl picked up the mallet and stared at it for a moment. She the looked up at Connie who readied herself.

_It will be easier than fighting Pearl,_ Connie thought. _And she'll be proud of me for not just defeating a defenseless -_

The blinding pain in her knee was the last thing she felt before waking up in her cell, her leg held in a metal device.

She looked up to see her captors staring at her. Aquamarine shot a look at her and sighed.

"Well, at least we'll have the Hybrid again so we can heal her," she sighed. "Pity about that Pearl, though ... I guess they can always get a new one ..."

Connie felt sick. The pain in her heart now outweighed the pain in her knee.

A Pearl was shattered ...

All because she tried to get her to fight.

~

She knew that she would get shattered if she was caught. She didn't even know what would happen to him.

She could easily turn the ship around and turn him in or take him to Homeworld herself.

But she couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that.

Not when 8XM was back on Earth. She was probably worried sick about him. She had talked at great length about the human child so it would make sense that she would be worried about him.

She couldn't let him fall into anyone's hands. She needed to protect him.

A part of her just wanted to take him back to Earth. To tell him to forget about the human, that he could find another one.

But that would only destroy him.

A whimper from the seat where he had been sitting jarred 8XL from her thoughts. She turned to see Steven curled up in on himself, asleep. Tears streamed down his cheeks. A horrible dream, no doubt.

She had never been good at comforting humans, but this was a different pain all together.

This wasn't something she could just console away.

She sighed and returned to the controls. She hoped she could get Steven to the next planet in time.

An alert came up on her communication panel. She pulled it up and gasped as Carnelian's face appeared.

"Um ... Hey 8XL ... Aquamarine and Topaz sent a message to the base. They’re coming back for him. I uh ... I hope you have a plan ..."

8XL looked back to Steven. She couldn't let him fall into the wrong hands.

"We have to protect him," she started, looking back at the screen. "Carnelian, I found out why they want him and ... We can't let them have him. They'll kill him..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worse

She was happy to find out that he wasn't there. There was a chance he could get home. He would be safe.

She didn't believe it for a minute when she heard the Skinny Jasper tell Aquamarine that Steven had been stolen and one of their own was shattered protecting him.

She just hoped that Aquamarine and Topaz would believe them.

When they unbubbled the Rose Quartz that they would use to heal her, Connie gasped, seeing just how much she looked like Steven's mom. She could feel the pain melt away as the Rose Quartz sang to her. She wasn't sure why, but wanted to stay with her forever. Perhaps it was the song. Perhaps it was the feeling she got as the Rose Quartz healed her.

When it was abruptly ended with the dissipating of the Quartz's form, Connie felt her heart break.

They needed to free them.

~

Steven awakened at the jolt of the ship. He looked around.

He had just been with Connie. She had been hurt.

But it was only a dream.

He looked to see 8XL at the controls. She cursed under her breath as she steered the ship erratically.

"What's going on?" Steven cried.

"We're being followed," she gritted out. "I was going to try and get us ahead of Aquamarine, but I think someone else figured out what you are. If I can get us -"

The ship rocked violently, knocking Steven onto the floor. He scrambled up to his feet as 8XL continued to struggle for control of the ship.

BAM!

The ship stalled, suddenly. 8XL whipped around and summoned her trident.

"Stay behind me," she growled, grabbing Steven and pulling him behind her as the Roaming eye docked with their pursuer.

The door to the ship opened, revealing a pair of Emeralds. The pair looked around the ship for a moment before their eyes locked onto 8XL.

"Why are you docking my ship without permission?" 8XL growled. "I've done nothing wrong!"

One of the Emeralds smirked.

"The signal we picked up earlier begs to differ. There were reports of an Amethyst walking around with a strange human at some of the Kindergartens. A wanted human. Looks like the reports were correct."

"What are you talking about," 8XL lied, posturing in hopes that she could scare off the Emeralds.

Neither Emerald spoke. Instead, one summoned a Gem Destabilizer and leaped forward, jabbing it into 8XL's side.

She was gone before Steven could react, her Gem clattering to the floor.

He was frozen in shock. He couldn't believe this was happening.

He was never going to see his dad, Garnet, Amethyst, or Pearl again. He would never walk down the beach or go to the donut shop. His friends would never be freed.

He would never see Connie ...

He let himself be taken. He looked back as they dragged him out of the ship, leaving 8XL's inert gem behind.

Perhaps, there was hope ...

~

During every fight, she saw the Pearl.

She imagined how it must have felt, to be shattered, and found herself crying most nights - though she wasn't sure if it was truly day or night. She had lost track.

In losing track of time, she also found herself losing hope.

If Steven was still out there, she would have seen him by now.

Someone must have truly taken him from the Zoo. Someone must have taken him to Homeworld.

He must already be gone.

The first fight after she had this realization was the worst she had fought. She barely raised her sword in to deflect any blows. She just didn't care anymore. A blow from her opponent's mace nearly ended her life. She was taken to the Zoo once again and healed.

As the Rose Quartz sang to her, Connie started to realize that she couldn't just let herself die.

She needed to fight. She had to do it for the Crystal Gems.

When she saw a Pearl in the audience during her next fight, she realized what she needed to do.

She needed to inspire rebellion.

~

He had expected to be thrown in the fighting ring like Connie had been.

Instead, he was a curiosity. He was paraded around the Kindergartens and shown off to elite gems. All the while, his captors gloated about how they went to Earth and captured him themselves. He cringed as they spun tale after tale at each stop.

At nights, he would try to figure out how far away he was from Connie. He came up with a system. If he could see her in a dreamscape and it felt like he was dream walking, then he was close. If his dreams didn't feature her or didn't feel like he was dream walking, then he was farther away. Every night that he saw her, he tried to alert her to him, to no avail.

He was just out of reach.

It was when he went to the second oldest Gem Colony that Steven finally made contact.

He saw her sitting on the beach and at first thought it was just a normal dream.

Then she turned around and saw him, her eyes wide in shock. He had walked into her dreams before, back when they were on Earth, and she always seemed to know when he was there before he had realized he was even dream walking. The shock on her face told him that this wasn't an ordinary dream.

"S-Steven? You're alive?"

She ran to him and embraced him. He melted into her arms for a moment before pulling her close. He couldn't believe it. He had finally found her.

"Connie! I was so worried!" Steven cried. "Where are you?"

"I'm not sure. I think I remember something about where we're going next. We're supposed to have one more stop before they take me to Homeworld -"

Steven froze.

"Homeworld? They're taking you to Homeworld?" Steven gasped.

"Yeah," Connie sighed. "But if I can keep them distracted there, then they won't look for you and you'll be safe!"

"But ... But what about you?" Steven asked.

"Steven, the Earth still needs you ... The Crystal Gems need you ..."

"But I need you ..."

Connie looked into Steven's eyes. She could feel the sadness emanating off of him and she was sure he could feel hers as well. She gently placed a hand on his cheek.

"Steven ..."

He could see the worry in her eyes.

He couldn't tell her where he was.

He couldn't tell her what had happened.

Instead, he pulled her close.

"I promise that we'll see each other again soon," he whispered.

They held each other close until Steven was snapped out of his sleep by a sharp kick in the side. He gasped for breath and rolled onto his hands and knees, looking up to see the Emeralds glaring at him.

"You're not a human ..." one of them started. "You're a Rose Quartz ..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven arrives at his final destination.

  
The stories of the human spread in the Ruby Barracks first.

A mere human able to hold its own against a Gem? Preposterous!

One that could do so while wielding a legendary Gem weapon? Outstanding!

The stories grew fantastic, tales being told of how she could have possibly gotten a hold of the weapon. How she could have learned how to fight like a Gem.

When a Citrine overheard the human speaking to her defeated foe before being dragged out, the story became even more fantastic.

A Pearl taught her how to fight? How could a Pearl have even known how to fight?

Was she trained by the Renegade who was believed to be long shattered?

The tales spread rapidly, Gems speculating on how the Renegade could have possibly survived, if this story was even true. Did she somehow hide away from the weapon that the Diamond's used on the Earth? Was she alone?

Was the Rose Quartz still alive?

As the stories spread, more Gems came to witness the fights to see the human for themselves. As more Gems watched the human, more of them became intrigued about Earth.

What was that planet hiding?

And was it worth protecting?

~

Steven wasn't sure where he was headed.

He had not been allowed to see outside of his containment cell since they had discovered the truth about what he was. He was not sure how much time had passed, but he was thankful that the Emeralds still provided him with food. It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless.

He wondered if he could survive without it.

His sleep had been fitful, only a couple hours here and there as he would awaken in a panic, wondering what his fate would be.

Worst of all, he hadn't seen Connie.

He wasn't sure how far away she was or if they were even in the same galaxy anymore.

Every time he nodded off to sleep, he hoped he would see her.

~

As she faced down the Labradorite, she knew that this would be her last battle before Homeworld.

Before she fought for the Diamonds.

As she circled around the ring, her sword ready, she wondered if this was even making a difference.

She could still be cut down. She would no longer be a distraction and they would go back for Steven.

She couldn't let that happen.

The Labradorite summoned her trident and took her stance.

"What are you?" She asked Connie who stared in shock.

"What?" She asked. Her opponents had never seemed curious about her in the past. They just always seemed to want to prove their superiority over her.

"What are you? You can't be a mere human. The stories can't be true."

Connie was taken aback.

"Stories?"She asked.

The Labradorite made a bluff charge, causing Connie to prepare to block. She then backed off.

"That you are a human who was trained by a Pearl. That you came from Earth and that you seem to know about Gem culture in a way that no human should. What are you?"

Connie did not respond. Instead, she went for her opening, lunging at the Gem. The Labradorite countered her attack with a block from her trident, pushing Connie back, momentarily.

"You can't possibly be human. A Pearl couldn't have possibly known how to fight, much less been able to teach a human!"

She raised her trident to stab at Connie, only to be stabbing at the air as Connie rolled out from underneath her.

She was slow to react,

Too slow.

_SHING!_

Connie sliced the sword into her opponent.

"I'm the human member of the Crystal Gems. We defend the Earth from anyone who would dare to threaten it."

_POOF!_

The Labradorite's gem clattered to the ground.

Connie stared at the gem as the crowd roared in excitement.

She hoped that she had not sealed the Earth's fate just then.

~

When he was finally allowed out of the holding cell, he realized where he had been taken.

The towering, glittering spires. The Holoscreens with propaganda.

The ordered bustle of the city.

He was on Homeworld.

If it had been a few years prior, he would have been filled with a sense of awe and wonder. Now, however, he was filled with dread.

He was going to be turned in. They were going to turn him in to the Diamonds to pay for his mother's actions.

He hoped that Connie was alright. He knew that she would be on Homeworld soon.

Would she know that he had been taken? That he had been killed?

There was no way that the Diamonds wouldn't kill him.

"Alright, when we get in, we'll say we have a new competitor. Then when the Diamonds see what we've captured, they'll move us to a better colony," one of the Emeralds stated as they dragged Steven to the Warp pad.

He looked ahead to see a large dome. It must have been another fighting arena. Most of the Gems he saw now were hurrying towards the arena.

The Diamonds were going to be there.

He was going to be there.

His execution would be public.

Connie would definitely find out.

His thoughts turned towards the Crystal Gems. Would they ever find out what happened to him?

Of course they would. The Diamonds would send ships back to Earth. They would want to capture the rest of the Crystal Gems.

His whole family ... Gone in an instant.

He wondered how his dad would react. Would he be able to survive the loss of his son?

What would happen to all of the corrupted gems?

What would happen with the Cluster?

His mind drifted as they arrived at the Dome. He looked around. It was familiar and alien all at once.

It reminded him of the one time he had gone to a baseball game when he was much younger. The crowds pushing through. His dad carrying him on his shoulders.

Steven would never get to experience that again.

He was herded along and taken down a lift into a small, dark room.

There he waited.

When the doors finally flung open, he couldn't believe what he saw.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven meets his opponent.

When she saw him, she felt her heart rip in half.

He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be at the Zoo. He was supposed to be safe.

He wasn't supposed to be on Homeworld, fighting her.

She wanted to throw down her sword and run to him. She wanted to believe that none of this was happening. She knew, however, that everything she did was being watched by the Diamonds.

"Do they know?" she mouthed.

Steven nodded.

She gripped her sword tightly.

"What do we do?" she asked.

He smiled, sadly.

"It'll be just like sparring," he smiled, weakly.

Connie couldn't return the smile. Instead, she nodded and took her stance. She watched as Steven mirrored her. They circled each other, getting ready to attack. She watched as his movements continued to mirror hers. It was almost like a dance.

_A dance ..._

She suddenly knew what had to be done.

She locked eyes with Steven and then readied her sword. They had practiced this many times.

She hoped that they were still in synch.

He had always found himself getting distracted when they sparred. Connie was graceful and beautiful and even now, he couldn't help but think of how he felt about her.

He had to get a grip, however. She was supposed to be his executioner.

Something about the look on her face seemed to hint that there was something more. As she moved closer, he realized what it was.

They had done this before. They had practiced this many times.

Even though he had been too nervous when they were first captured, he felt he could do it now.

As he raised his shield to block her sword, he reached a hand out to grab her free hand.

He pulled her close.

Their eyes met.

Connie pulled herself even closer as a blinding light bathed over them.

The crowd gasped at the sight, but Stevonnie didn't care.

They just needed to find a way out of there.

"What is this?" a loud, booming voice shouted. "How can this happen? What was the human fighting?"

"This is impossible!" Another booming voice shouted.

Stevonnie looked up at the Diamonds who were bickering among each other. They were distracted. This was perfect.

"Our Rose Quartz!" the shrill voice of Aquamarine shrieked. "Thief! You came to the Zoo and took her!"

"We did not!" One of the Emeralds shouted in their defense. "We found her and she was ours to bring to the Diamonds!"

Stevonnie watched as the chaos unfolded around them. They needed to make a break for it and leave while everyone was distracted. They quickly went out through one of the tunnels, eyes focused straight ahead as they tried to find their way outside.

"When we get to the door, I'll put up my bubble so we can breath," they told themselves. "Then we'll figure out how to get out of here."

They pushed on, weaving through the corridors, hoping that they wouldn't run into anyone.

A final foyer was all that was left.

Stevonnie summoned their bubble and ran toward the doorway. They weren't even sure how gravity would work outside, but they needed to at least make sure they were somewhat safe and together.

That was all that mattered.

The door flew open and the fusion ran outside. They could hardly take any time to marvel at their surroundings.

They were fugitives.

They couldn't stop running.

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted. The fusion whipped around to see an Amethyst running after them.

They almost turned to run until a part of Stevonnie recognized her.

"8XL?"

With a flash of light, the fusion split inside the bubble. Connie watched warily as the Amethyst approached them.

"You found your friend! Great! Follow me! I'll get you out of here," she urged. "They're still distracted but won't be for much longer!"

With that, they tore after 8XL. The only thought on Steven and Connie's minds was getting home.

As they ran to the Roaming Eye, Steven turned to look at Connie. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to apologize for.

Yes, he had already apologized weeks ago, but this was different. He had actually gotten her into real danger. He would be surprised if she wanted to be around him anymore.

Her sudden grip on his hand reassured him momentarily. They would get through this.

Together.

As they rolled onto the ship, 8XL immediately ran to the controls, preparing for take off. The door closed and Steven dropped the bubble. He looked to Connie who stared out the window of the Roaming Eye.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yeah ..." she started. "Are you OK?"

"I am now ..."

He helped her to one of the seats and sat on the floor next to her.

"Alright you two, hold on. We've got to make a quick stop at the zoo to free your friends ... and hopefully the Diamonds don't decide to come looking for their missing Rose Quartz too soon ..."

"Did they know that you were being brought to them?" Connie asked.

"I think so," Steven started. "I ... I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe I should go back."

"What?" Connie asked, incredulously.

"If I don't ... If I don't go back and end what my mom did, then they'll just come back to Earth. They might hurt everyone I love ..."

The unspoken words hung in the air between them. Connie gently touched Steven's hand.

"Steven ... you don't have to do it alone ..."

Steven looked away for a moment.

"I can't ask you to do that."

"Steven ... what would the alternative be? Your Dad ... Garnet ... Amethyst ... Pearl ...You'd be asking us to say goodbye to you ... forever. I can't do that. I can't lose you again."

Steven looked up at Connie.

"But what if they come for you? What if they hurt you?"

"They won't," she started, "because we'll be together."

Steven smiled weakly. He wanted to believe her, but deep down, he knew that if it came to it, he would rather sacrifice his own life than endanger anyone he loved.

_BAM!_

The ship rocked violently.

"Oh no," 8XL grumbled. "We have company. I'm going to try and out maneuver them. I hope they didn't do too much damage with that hit ..."

Steven gripped Connie's hand as they watched Aquamarine's ship maneuver itself to ram their ship.

"I'm going to try to activate the gravity drive," 8XL explained. "It may take a moment so ... hold on tight."

Steven and Connie held each other close as the ship began to gain speed. Steven could feel Connie shaking with fear in his arms. He pulled her even closer.

"If I did this right, we will end up right at Pink Diamond's base and we'll be able to free your friends. Then I can say goodbye to the rest of my family because there's no way I can stay with the empire after this," 8XL explained through gritted teeth. "If I didn't ...then ... well, it was nice knowing you two ... And ... I'm sorry ..."

Steven and Connie looked at each other.

"I love you, Connie," he whispered, pulling her closer.

Connie wrapped her arms even tighter, as if doing so would keep them both alive.

"I love you too, Steven," Connie replied.


End file.
